You can't help but notice that the film is an homage to old time television and sci-fi movies, with it's Twilight Zone-ish opening that prepares us for what could be a chapter of 'Paradox Theater'. Another connection to my favorite television series of all time is introduced with the name of the small town in which the story takes place. Cayuga was also the name of Rod Serling's production company, so that was a neat bit of trivia for us old time TV fans.

The interaction of the principal players here is what drives the story forward. The banter between Everett Sloan (Jake Horowitz) and Fay Crocker (Sierra McCormick) is fast paced and razor sharp, touching on topics of local color and items of scientific interest. As a self styled DJ, Everett is interested in the unusual, with a penchant for the paranormal. Young Fay is a switchboard operator with a quick mind and quick reflexes. They are both drawn into a mysterious drama when caller Billy dials into radio station WOTW to relate his experience with a staticky electrical humming that's overheard on the radio broadcast. This eventually leads to a follow up call from Mabel Blanche (Gail Cronauer),who insists on a personal visit by Everett to relate the story of her son who went missing years ago, and for which she was blamed when no other explanation ever surfaced.

The story eventually does enter paranormal territory itself, and in the best Twilight Zone tradition, ends with the young protagonists witnessing a huge spaceship on the outskirts of Cayuga, only to fade out with their footprints abruptly ending in the sand next to their abandoned tape recorder, as previously described by Ms. Blanche in her description of how she encountered her lost son's tracks. With that, the story resurrects that eerie feeling one gets whenever watching a story that has the potential of being true, but know it can't be real at the same time.

One final old time TV connection - Everett Sloan in this story takes his name from character actor Everett Sloane, who had an extensive movie, and later television career from the Forties through the Sixties. Ordinarily this wouldn't have registered quite so easily, but I just saw him in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents titled "Our Cook's a Treasure".

One of the most important things in thrillers but even more so in horror movies, is that things happen at night. At least when it's dark (outside),because that is more likely to reel viewers in and make them easier to be susceptible to be afraid and scared.

Now this is more of Science Fiction touch, still works with many of the things I mentioned. Having said that, mostly this works in your head. There is not so much visually (scary),but what you hear and what you think and imagine happening. And maybe you're just imagening? Or our main characters are ... well played and acted, this is low budget and the pacing is not something everyone is willing to endure. Whoever is and likes that, will be thoroughly entertained though.

This, for me, was a near perfect film. Although Its subject matter was of little interest to me, everything else from the score , the lighting the editing AND the magnificent performances were beautiful. The best i've seen for a while. It was a film with so much mood i was mesmerized after the initial 5 (annoying) minutes and was transfixed till the very end. Go see this little gem.